I had been battling the dreaded "service charging system" warning for about 2 weeks and I have finally found and corrected the problem ...

my problem -- A burnt starter solenoid. -- total cost of the fix $15. -- dealer estimate $800.

If anyone is having this problem here is what I suggest to do before you take your Vette into the shop or set fire to it:

1. sound your horn -- sounds silly but the horn and alternator are on the same fuse.

2. check your battery cables -- they are prone to come lose.

3. have your battery load tested -- a battery can charge and still be bad...

4. if you have changed out your sparkplugs to after-market, swap them back to stock OEM sparkplugs --- some plugs give off a weird radio signal .

5. If you notice that your voltage is doing massive swings on your gauge, i.e 14 to 11 then back to 14... the cause may be your alternator. have it checked. if the alternator is bad, I would suggest swapping it out yourself as it is really easy to do takes about 5 min to do --all you need is a 15mm socket wrench and a 1/2 inch open ended wrench ... also it might be a good idea to go to a 180amp or better alternator. Look around you can get this alternator for about $200. Dealer will charge about $700-$800 for this fix

6. if the alternator is good, lift the corvette up and check the starter solenoid -- don't just visually inspect it -- reach up and wiggle the top terminal. if it is lose or moves, there is your problem. you DO NOT have to buy a whole new starter ( the dealer tried to tell me I did ). just replace to solenoid. $15 fix and about 15 minutes of your time.

ALSO -- it should be noted that the hot weather "click - click" start problem may be attributed to the solenoid start wire ( it is a plug style prone to problems -- i.e plug with the purple wire ) ... this plug is heat sensitive and when it overheats, it can cause the "click-click" no start problem... what you may consider is swapping to a standard post type solenoid and eliminating that plug. It has been the fix with several of my friends that had the hot weather "click click" problem.

7. none of the above works -- check all off your wiring... look for a lose ground or burnt wire... last thing to check is the ECM module... I think it is in the Right fender well -- that i would take to a professional as I was told they are flashed.

Happy hunting !

 

All good points to consider and remember. Thanks for posting. Glad you got if fixed.

 

Awesome info!!!

 

Good info there.

Where did you get just the solenoid and not the starter too?

 

Awesome write up and very helpful..thank you

 

Good Info - one more thing,

Move the alternator wire away from the No. 1 spark plug wire, look here for a photo:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1571481327-post58.html

 

Actually, I found a place down the street from my work-- I walked the starter in and they changed it out in about 2 min... thus the $15 was the installed price.... here is the shop -- I am sure if you contact them, they would be willing to help anyone out:

ACE Alternators & Starters
13201 Imperial Highway
Whittier, CA 90605

(562) 903-4150

Hard to believe but they are open 7 days a week !

There is also a second place that came highly recomended to me it is called :

AGS
969 Fairway Drive
Walnut, CA
(909) 468-1777

they specialize in hard to find parts and will rebuild while you wait.


edit -- if anyone needs a solenoid and they will not ship, contact me and I will help you out.

 

You are absolutely correct. this should be done .. Thank for reminding me of that one -- I just did this on my Vette

 

good information guess what getting service charging system after new alternater the problem was the nut that secures two wires at solonoid was completely gone.

 

easy fix ! Glad you found your problem without the need to going to an expensive repair shop.

 

i've been seeing the "service charging system" message, but i don't know where the starter solenoid is located to check it.

i would appreciate it if you can post pics of the starter solenoid and the solenoid start wire. it will help me locating them

 

Good job. The post solenoid is a good idea. GM has had a problem with solenoids for many years. With the post you could use a screwdriver to start the car when it went click click click.

 

As soon as I put in NGK's I got the SCS message and periodic voltage fluctuations.

Back to stock plugs did the trick!

 

what should the battery voltage read at idel? mine reads 11.5 Volts, is it okay or it's low?

 

Thanks for your post. I have been having the SCS message quite a while now.

I did change my spark plugs out a while ago but used OEM plugs so I should be ok in this department.

Ah-ha! This is just as I expected. My voltage drops to 11 or below when at idle or low speeds and the high speed fan kicks on. I thought it might be the alternator. I will drop by Pep Boys and have it checked.

 

is this the starter solenoid wire? where is it located exactly? is the pic taken from underneath the car?

 

Its on top of the starter! Heres a picture of a C5 starter/solenoid. Very close to the same thing. (Dont have a C6 picture yet!)

 

Although I failed to take photos ( I know, my bad ) ... it is easy to locate. First you need to jack your corvette up high enough to get under it or use ramps ( PLEASE use jacking pucks or low rise ramps to prevent and body damage ) .... when you are under your vette, the starter is located just left of the passanger side exhaust and the solenoid sits right on top of it. It will have the "plug" and purple wire leading into it and the cable from your battery. You should have no trouble locating it. If i can get my camera to work, I will post photos.

 

your post. I have been having the SCS message quite a while now.




Ah-ha! This is just as I expected. My voltage drops to 11 or below when at idle or low speeds and the high speed fan kicks on. I thought it might be the alternator. I will drop by Pep Boys and have it checked.[/QUOTE]






FYI -- If you do swap out your alternator, look online and get a one that puts out more Amps ( the standard corvette alternator is about 145Amps -- barely enough )... It is REALLY easy to change the alternator out yourself.

 

It's above the cat in this picture.